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2 former judges, state senator among 7 seeking to be next Macomb County prosecutor

It's been 16 years since a new prosecutor has been elected in Macomb County.

This year, that will change.

The catalyst is a corruption probe that brought the resignation of longtime Prosecutor Eric Smith less than a week after he was charged with embezzlement and misconduct in office by the Michigan Attorney General's Office for his office's handling of $600,000 in drug and alcohol forfeiture funds.

Five Democrats and two Republicans — including two former judges and a state senator — have filed to run for the four-year seat, starting with the Aug. 4 primary. The top Democratic and Republican vote-getters will face off in November.

On the Democratic side is Mary Chrzanowski, a retired Macomb County Circuit Court judge who was nicknamed "Scary Mary." Chrzanowski, who also served as an administrative law judge in Florida, has been featured nationally on NBC's "Dateline," "The Doctors" and "Face the Truth."

Jodi Switalski, a former district court judge in Waterford and wife of Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Mark Switalski, filed on the Democratic ticket, as has Tom Rombach, a former past president of the State Bar of Michigan who also served as a county commissioner and on the Macomb County Charter Commission.

Other Democrats are Saima Khalil, who is listed as a director with the Macomb County Bar Association, and Eva Tkaczyk, a defense attorney who ran unsuccessfully for Macomb County clerk in the 2018 primary.

On the GOP ticket is state Sen. Peter Lucido, who faced multiple accusations of sexual harassment earlier this year. An internal investigation found he engaged in inappropriate workplace behavior, but Lucido said he has never sexually harassed anyone.

Lucido, a former state representative, was the first to file for prosecutor after Smith resigned last month.

Lucido's primary opponent is Richard John Goodman, a former Macomb County assistant prosecutor who was chief of the juvenile court division for the prosecutor's office from 1999 to 2004, according to his resume on Facebook.

Four other countywide offices are up for grabs this year, including sheriff, clerk/register of deeds, treasurer and public works commissioner.

Democratic incumbents Sheriff Anthony Wickersham and Clerk/Register of Deeds Fred Miller as well as GOP incumbent Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller face no primary opposition.

Incumbent Republican Treasurer Larry Rocca has primary challenges from Sherri Murphy and Erin Stahl, a former top deputy of ousted county clerk Karen Spranger.

Five Republicans will face off in the primary for county clerk/register of deeds, including Steve Colegio, a retired Warren police officer and husband of former city councilwoman Kelly Colegio; Anthony Forlini, a former state representative and Harrison Township supervisor; Julie Williams, who was unsuccessful in prior bids for clerk; Jackie Ryan, former chief deputy register of deeds under Spranger, and Daniel Joseph Russell.

Terence Mekoski and Michael Wrathell will face off in the Republican primary for sheriff.

There will be a bit of a shake-up on the county Board of Commissioners as four current members are not seeking reelection to their county seats.